Ontario Introducing New Electoral Financing Rules

Ontario is proposing changes to the way political parties raise and spend money that would make Ontario’s electoral financing rules among the strongest in Canada.

The Election Finances Statute Law Amendment Act, includes a number of legislative measures that would, if passed, modernize the province’s election financing rules.

The bill is to be introduced today and includes:

– Banning donations and loan guarantees by corporations and unions
– Capping the amount of money third parties can spend on political advertising, and introducing strict anti-collusion measures
– Placing new limits on the amount of money individuals can donate to a political party, candidate, constituency association, nomination contestant, and leadership contestant
– Creating a per-vote allowance for political parties based on the number of votes they receive in the previous general election.

The province is also proposing a broad consultation process to get feedback on the draft legislation from a wide variety of stakeholders.

Ontario is proposing to send the legislation to committee after first reading to allow them to examine the legislation in principle, and propose amendments that may dramatically alter its scope. The legislation will go back to committee for more input after second reading.

The Province is also proposing a consultation process at committee that would include presentations from the Chief Electoral Officer, the Green Party of Ontario, experts chosen by the opposition party and four weeks of public hearings across the province over the course of summer 2016.

Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur says “By making our election financing rules stronger and our system more transparent, we are making it clear to all the people of Ontario, that here, the power lies firmly in their hands.”